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Pressure Washer Recommendations?

NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
in Tools and techniques
I am looking to buy a pressure washer initially to blast clean a rough concrete patio slab laid last autumn, now looking sorry for itself. Also to clean the watermarks off quarry-bought sandstone prior to laying. I individually scrubbed clean nearly 100sqm of this sandstone last year (now looking beautiful throughout my ground floor) but it nearly broke me. Adjustable pressure useful as I will need to be gentler with the sandstone than the concrete.

Karcher is big in my local diy superstore, but I am not sure what wattage/bar pressure to buy. I don’t want to spend a fortune but if I buy just the compact version and it’s not powerful enough I will have wasted my money. Happy to consider other brands, can get off a****n

Any recommendations or advice gratefully received!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I have just cleaned our concrete terrace and steps plus honey coloured stone wall either side of the steps with a basic Karcher K2 upright which come with one nozzle end.

    It does the job as well as the fancier, cylinder type model we had before and which had 3 or 4 heads.   That lasted about 10 years before it died but the simple one seems to work well for me.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We’ve got the K2 as well, with a patio head.
    i think next time we will get the K4, bit more oomph!  We have no water pressure here, we have our own pumping station but even so, the karcherK2 does very well. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    edited April 2018
    My recommendation is don't hold any of them too close to the surface!
    My mum's neighbour regularly pressure washes his concrete path out into the street and when I dismantled a huge wooden planter last year I was shocked at the difference in the surfaces between covered flagstone and non-covered (pressure hosed) flagstone! These are olde stylee street flags so very robust. Needless to say the rougher surface goes green and dirty much faster!
    I do use a Karcher but only very judiciously now.

    I hope you can see. I've put a little stick at the interface.
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Karcher K2 is my only experience. It works but the circular patio attachment has always been rubbish.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    OH bought one of those circular, flat patio heads for our old Karcher.  He didn't realise it only works on flat surfaces and not bumpy granite sets and slabs.  Yesterday he had to ask how the Karcher works so he could clean his golf trolley - never used one before.  My job.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I've got an old Karcher K4 Eco and it's excellent. I got it online for a good deal. The patio cleaner attachment is amazing for cleaning without blowing the dirt everywhere. A lot of pressure washing is just moving dirt around your garden without an attachment like that (you need decent pressure to run it effectively though). Sometime it pays to go over once with the patio cleaner then go over again with a lance if necessary. That just saves making too much mess. The dirt blaster lance is rediculous and will clean anything, but never use it on wood or it will strip the fibers out.

    I've even had to get it looked at under warranty and that was a simple process with a local agent taking it in for servicing.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    That’s great stuff, thanks all! So, K2 or K4...sounds as if the K2 would do the job, but the patio cleaner sounds better on the K4. Decisions decisions, if it’s not too much more will go for the K4, I think.

    Our water pressure in the outside tap near the patio is extremely strong so might have to experiment with that and start with the tap half open, so I don’t blow up the pressure washer!

    The concrete is roughly finished, Plant Pauper, it won’t be seen and a good key for the flexible adhesive is essential so the rougher the better. But the sandstone slabs are honed and I really don’t want to wreck them so very many thanks for the warning, I will take extra care with them.

    Excellent, I love getting new toys  :D
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I've had Karchers for years and use the patio brush.  The brush works well on my sandstone patio and block paving.  Maybe those who have experienced problems are using a lower pressure model and that won't be as effective.
    When my neighbour had her driveway professionally done, they also used the patio brush.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    When I went shopping the Karcher choice was the K2 at 79.99 euros (no patio cleaner available) or the K4 at 350.00 with patio cleaner - the latter was a bit too pricey so I ended up with a Nilfisk 125 with patio cleaner for 200€. Seems pretty powerful, brought my concrete slab up a treat. Which says it’s pretty reliable but time wiill tell. Thanks for all your advice.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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